4 Best Sights in Ticino, Switzerland

Breathtaking alpine scenery and subtropical colors are wed in Brissago, yet another flowery lakefront resort at the lowest elevation in Switzerland. It's an easy excursion by car or bus from Ascona. The main attraction, the federally protected Brissago Islands, are set like jewels in the lake. Their botanical gardens teem with more than a thousand species of subtropical plants, identified by plaques in Italian, German, and French. An English guide to the plants is for sale for SF8 at the gate. Have lunch or drinks at the restaurant in a beautifully restored 1929 villa. Boats bound for the islands depart regularly from Ascona (SF20 round-trip) and Locarno (SF34 round-trip). You must leave with the last boat back to the mainland—usually around 6 pm—so check the schedule carefully when planning your excursion.

In the early 19th century, several buildings were torn down to enlarge the square, providing room for the present-day café tables. Commonly referred to simply as "La Piazza," it's the social and cultural heart of the city and the site of outdoor markets and open-air concerts.

With a breathtaking view of Locarno, the Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Rock crowns the hilltop hamlet of Orselina. Pilgrims make the steep hike up to it, but most others opt for the short funicular ride that boards close to the train station. The church is open to visitors, but you must reserve ahead to see the rest of the convent, where Brother Bartolomeo da Ivrea had a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1480. Inside the sanctuary are several side chapels with statues depicting scenes from the New Testament, such as the Last Supper. The church, which was given a neo-Renaissance facade in the late 19th century, is a lavish affair. Among its artistic treasures are Bramantino's 1520 Flight into Egypt and Ascona-born Antonio Ciseri's Christ Carried to the Sepulcher, a dramatic, Caravaggesque procession scene painted in 1870.

This 2-km (1-mile) lakefront promenade is lined with highly pruned lime trees, funereal cypresses, and graceful palm trees stretching from the Lido all the way to the Paradiso neighborhood. Il Lungolago is the place to see and be seen—while taking in the views, of course. At night, luminous fountains turn the lake near the Parco Civico into a special attraction.